In my last post, dated Oct 15, 2013, I explained my desire to make the following case: Why Christian education is a non-negotiable in the life of the believer individually and in the life of the church corporately. I also stated, “There is a prevailing attitude in many evangelical churches that devalues rigorous study and scholarship in the local church.” In this post, I would like to expound on this problem among the laity.

I recently read the following statistic: 33% of US High School graduates and 42% of college graduates never read another book after they graduate. (So if you didn’t go to college, you have an edge on the rest of us!) The total number of the adult population that has not read a book in the last five years is 80%. This is an appalling set of statistics for us as a civilized nation and also for the church - especially in a culture where more and more people are asked for their opinion. I can only hope that the statistic is not that drastic for Christians, but my experience is that the average 21st century Christian in the West does not read or study enough.

Through His word, God determined to display His mighty power and will. By His word, He created, commanded, caused, and covenanted. By His word, He revealed Himself to His people in “special revelation." People have always known that He existed through the “general revelation” of nature and conscience (Psalm 19); however, they can never intimately know Him in all His glory, especially as a redeemer, without His Word.

In John 1.1, God applied the title “Word” to Jesus because Christ had become the fully-embodied God. He was communicating in a complete and special way the nature of God. Therefore, it is only obvious that we who believe His Word is true must submit to the medium He chose to use - language. It becomes our duty to work and toil to understand our God through the medium of language.

It is my desire that we all come to know God’s word in greater and more intimate ways as the means to know our glorious God and Savior. He is worthy of our efforts.